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Compare 1577 edition: 1 When duke Henrie had assaied all the waies how to take it, and saw that he could not preua [...]le,Duke Henrie raiseth his siege from Notingham. Polydor. he min|ded to loose no more time: but raising his siege from thence, he ranged abroad to get other places into his possession, and finallie came to his mother, and laie at Wallingford. King Stephan in the meane time being strong in the field, sought time and place to haue Henrie at s [...]me aduantage, who in his yoong yeares (as yet not hauing tasted any misfortune) he thought would rashlie attempt some vnaduised en|terprise. ¶ But whereas the realme of England had béene now manie yeares miserablie turmoiled with ciuill warre (which the verie heathen haue so de|tested,The miserie of this land in time of the ci|uill warre. that they haue exclaimed against it with a kind of irksomnesse; as:

EEBO page image 61
Eheu cicatricum & sceleris pudet,Hor. lib. car. 1. ode. 35.
Fratrúmque: quid nos dura refugimus
Aetas? quid intactum nefasti
Linquimus? vnde manus iuuentus
Metu deorum continuit? quibus
Pepercit aris?Idem. lib. car. 2. ode. 1. iam litui strepunt,
Iamfulgor armorum fugaces
Terret equos equitúmque vultus)
Wherein (besides millians of extremities) honest matrones and mens wiues were violated, maids and virgins rauished, churches spoiled, townes and villages robbed, whole flocks and heards of shéepe and beasts destroied (wherein the substance of the realme cheeflie consisted) and men without number slaine and murthered, it pleased the goodnesse of al|mightie God at length to deliuer the land of these miseries, which were notified to all countries round about that sore lamented the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now whereas king Stephan was the cause of all the troubles, in hauing vsurped an other mans right|full inheritance, it pleased God to mooue his hart at length to desire peace which he had euer before abhor|red. The cause that mooued him chéefelie to change his former purpose, was for that his sonne Eustace by speedie death was taken out of this world (as be|fore you haue heard) which losse séemed great not one|lie to the father, but also to all those lords and others which had alwaies taken his part, bicause he was a yoong man so well liked of all men, that he was iud|ged to be borne to much honour. But his wife Con|stance tooke his death verie sorowfullie,The ladie Constance wife to Eu|stace sent home. and the more indeed, for that she had no issue by him, wherevpon shortlie after she was sent honourablie home to hir father king Lewes with hir dower, and other rich and princelie gifts.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 King Stephan séeing himselfe thus depriued of his onlie sonne, vnto whom he minded to leaue the kingdome which he so earnestlie sought to confirme and assure vnto him by warlike endeuor, and that a|gaine the French kings aid would not be so readie as heretofore it had béene (wherevpon he much stai|ed, now that the bonds of affinitie were abolished) he began at length (though not immediatlie vpon his sonnes deceasse) to withdraw his mind from war,K. Stephan began to in|cline his mind to peace. Matth. Paris. and bequeashed it wholie to peace. Which alte|ration being perceiued, those Nobles that were glad to sée the state of their countrie quieted, did their best to further it; & chéeflie Theobald archbishop of Canturburie trauelled earnestlie to bring the princes to some agréement, now talking with the king, now sending to the duke, and vsing all means possible to set them at vnitie. Ger. Dor. The bishop of Win|chester also, who had caused all the trouble, vpon con|sideration of the great calamities wherewith the land was most miserablie afflicted, began to wish an end thereof. Wherevpon the lords spirituall and temporall were called togither at Winchester a|about the latter end of Nouember, that they with their consents also might confirme whatsoeuer the king and the duke should conclude vpon.

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